College Sports Journal Top 25 10/29/19

On By Jamie Williams
Courtesy of NDSU Athletics

The Dakota Marker is staying Fargo after an exciting finish that saw Matt Entz gamble on 4th down in his own territory. Adam Cofield took the carry 71 yards for the game winning points. Elsewhere, James Madison, Weber State and Sacramento State affirmed themselves as the rest of the top five. The rest of the FCS seems to be in flux with different teams elevating and dropping week over week.

  1. North Dakota State Bison (8-0)

The Bison look to be heading for another undefeated regular season and top seed in the playoffs.

  1. James Madison Dukes (8-1)

The bye week has finally arrived for James Madison. The Dukes are controlling games along the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball.

  1. Weber State Wildcats (6-2)

It took a bit, but Weber pulled away late from UC Davis, holding Jake Maier to a season low in passing yardage. A showdown at Sacramento State looms this weekend.

  1. South Dakota State Jackrabbits (6-2)

The health at the QB position is a big concern for the Jackrabbits right now. There are a couple of tough opponents remaining.

  1. Sacramento State Hornets (6-2)

The Hornets haven’t lost a game against an FCS opponent this season. A win this week against Weber will put them in line for a seed and two rounds of hosting duty in the playoffs.

  1. Princeton Tigers (6-0)

The Tigers took Harvard’s best shot but came away with the win. The Ivy League title will be determined on November 9th when they travel to Dartmouth.

  1. Illinois State Redbirds (6-2)

The Redbirds are in line for a potential playoff seed. But they must avoid the late season doldrums that they inflicted upon themselves the last couple years. The closing stretch is not easy.

  1. Kennesaw State Owls (7-1)

The Owls keep on rolling. They get their two tough conference tests back to back with Monmouth and Campbell over the next two weeks.

  1. Montana Grizzlies (6-2)

Montana bounced back from a loss to Sac State by cruising past Eastern Washington in the fourth quarter. The last two weeks of the season will determine the Grizzlies’ potential as a seed.

  1. Northern Iowa Panthers (5-3)

The Panthers always seem to sneak in the playoffs and win a round. They’re in line for a berth right now but a win over South Dakota State in a few weeks would do wonders for them,

  1. Villanova Wildcats (6-2)

Villanova has dropped two straight after starting 6-0. Are we starting to see cracks or is this team going to bounce back the rest of the way?

  1. Furman Paladins (5-3)

The Paladins have a tough schedule the finish their SoCon season. Winning out gets the auto bid and probably a playoff seed.

  1. Dartmouth Big Green (6-0)

Dartmouth continues to roll along. The season will come down to their game against Princeton.

  1. Central Arkansas Bears (6-2)

Central Arkansas are on the outskirts of a seed and have a manageable schedule to finish. Winning out probably gets them into the back end of the seeding conversation.

  1. Montana State Bobcats (5-3)

The Bobcats are on the verge of missing out on the playoffs. They’re going to need to beat one of the better Big Sky teams or their resume will not hold up against other teams around the country.

  1. Wofford Terriers (5-2)

After consecutive losses to start the season, Wofford is in control of their own destiny. As usual, its going to come down to their game against Furman for the league title most likely.

  1. North Carolina A&T Aggies (5-2)

The Aggies hammered Howard after losing to FAMU. Winning out will put them in the Celebration Bowl as MEAC champions.

  1. Southeast Missouri State Redhawks (5-3)

The Redhawks are riding a 2 game win streak against teams they are fighting for the OVC title. Running the table is not out of the question, but they cant afford to slip up.

Courtesy WTXL
  1. Florida A&M Rattlers (7-1)

The Rattlers are under a self-imposed postseason ban for this year. Its unfortunate because they would have the inside track to the Celebration Bowl otherwise.

  1. Central Connecticut State Blue Devils (7-1)

Central Connecticut continues to win easily week after week. The playoff bid will come down to their last two weeks of the season against a surprising Robert Morris team and a dangerous Duquesne

  1. Stony Brook Seawolves (5-3)

Stony Brook found a way past Villanova. But the schedule doesn’t get much easier for them. They have a real shot at the playoffs but need at least a 3-1 finish.

  1. Yale Bulldogs (5-1)

Yale hasn’t been as strong as some may have expected, but they have found ways to win, especially over the last couple weeks with a couple of tight wins.

  1. North Dakota Fighting Hawks (5-3)

The other team in North Dakota is quietly having a solid season. They have taken two bad losses on their resume, but they’ve also defeated three ranked teams, including last week against Montana State.

  1. Austin Peay Governors (5-3)

The Governors currently have the inside track on the auto bid from the OVC. The hold is tenuous. If they slip up again like they did against Tennessee State, they’ll lose the auto bid and a chance at a playoff berth.

  1. Towson Tigers (4-4)

Towson needs to win out to make the playoffs. They have the talent, but their normal slip ups will kill them

Others Receiving Votes: Sam Houston State, Jacksonville State, The Citadel, Alcorn State, Nicholls, Elon, San Diego, Monmouth

Voter Panel: Charles Burton, Kent Schmidt, Jamie Williams, Preston Adams, Ben Schleiger

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